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If Selena Were Alive Today . . .

On March 31, it will be 19 years since the untimely death of our beloved Selena Quintanilla. With all the fantastic Latinas dominating music (Shakira, Demi Lovato) and film (Jennifer Lopez, Salma Hayek), we couldn’t help but think where Selena would be today. If Selena were alive today . . . she would be the biggest Latina star on Earth.

1.
Pop Artist

If Selena were alive today . . . she would have been a thriving, established artist in American pop music. Before her death, Selena was working on Dreaming of You, her first English language album. Posthumously, it remained atop the Latin Billboard charts for nine consecutive months. Selena was destined to become the face of the late ‘90s Latin music invasion.

2.
Judge on The Voice

If Selena were alive today . . . she would’ve been the first Latina coach/mentor on The Voice. Imagine her sweet, tender ways, as she would pick the perfect team to take on Blake Shelton and Adam Levine’s squads. Even to this day, some contestants on all music reality shows use her songs to audition.

3.
Jennifer Lopez's Career

If Selena were alive today . . . it might have taken Jennifer Lopez longer to become a superstar. The 1997 biopic, Selena, catapulted Lopez from a former Fly Girl to Hollywood’s next “It” girl. We’re sure J. Lo would’ve made the leap to the A List eventually but without Selena it might’ve taken just a bit longer.

4.
Cumbia

If Selena were alive today . . . cumbia would be more commonplace in mainstream Latin music. Most of Selena’s biggest songs “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” “Como La Flor,” etc. were infused with traditional cumbia. Imagine all the hits she would’ve concocted by now! Romeo Santos made bachata chic and Selena would’ve done the same with cumbia.

5.
Fashion

If Selena were alive today . . . she would be a leading fashionista. By 1994, the tejana beauty was already designing her own clothing line and selling it at her two Texas-based stores, Selena Etc. According to Hispanic Business, Selena earned over five million in revenue from her stores alone. Selena a fashion maven? Damn, right!

6.
Actress

If Selena were alive today . . . she would be an actress. In 1995, Selena was in talks to star in a telenovela but never came to fruition due to her passing. Today, the Tex-Mex queen would’ve left the Spanish market a while ago to conquer Hollywood. Something about her just screams: Robert Rodriguez.